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Jacksonville high schoolers form up to help homeless

Provided by Jacksonville Hunger Foundation The Jacksonville Hunger Foundation collected about 30 pounds of clothing in its first weeks, which it will donate to Jacksonville Beach's Mission House on Friday.

Three high school students have joined the fight to help the area’s homeless.

Their first effort Friday begins with deliveries of food, water and clothing to Jacksonville Beach’s Mission House.

Bishop Kenny High School 11th-grader Ansel Diama said the idea for the Jacksonville Hunger Foundation began Christmas Day when he was talking with classmate Daniel Hanna. They remembered something from religion class: “They teach us to give back,” Diama said.

Brandon Santiago, a 16-year-old student and friend from Fletcher High School, soon joined in.

“I saw an increase in the homeless population and wanted to help. I wanted to help every month,” said Diama, 16. “It started off with wanting to donate hand sanitizers at first, then it ended up being food.”

Hanna said in a year they would like to make the donations quicker, maybe from one to two a month.

“We want to grow it so that we have a whole congregation of people just growing to help out in the community,” said Hanna, 17.

At the Mission House, where about 24,000 homeless a year receive hot lunches and dinners along with a shower, job counseling and other services, the students’ donation of peanut butter sandwiches, water and clothes is welcome at its facility at 800 Shetter Ave.

“It is amazing that kids that young are not self-centered and realize that they are blessed and that they want to share and to give back,” Executive Director Lori Anderson said. “… We are so thankful and grateful that they are using their energies this way. It means a lot to our clients, too.”

The state had a 14.8 percent increase in homelessness from 2007 to 2012, with 8.7 percent of the nation’s homeless living in Florida, according to the Florida Council of Homelessness’ 2013 report.

Once Diama and Hanna joined forces, they set up a Facebook (facebook.com/JacksonvilleHunger) page to ask for help and garnered 353 “likes” as of earlier this week. Santiago said he quickly agreed to help when Diama sent him a text message two weeks ago.

“It is a good thing to pay it forward and there is an increasing population, especially in the Beaches. I see homeless roaming the streets frequently and it is sad,” he said.

The teens used their own money and help from family and friends to collect 30 pounds of used clothing as well as seven cases of bottled water and 20 cases of pre-made sandwiches for the Friday delivery.

As for the future, the group wants more members so they can work with more homeless facilities. Diama said that social media will be used to get the word out.